Engine



Ffih, 25, 1936:. VINCENT 2,@31,8?H

ENGINE Filed D60. 3, 1934 INVENTOR. Edward \///7 C607" ATTO NEY.

Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,674

10 Claims.

My invention relates to engines and more particularly to an engine of the sleeve valve type and to a particular construction whereby to control the leakage oflubricant outwardly of the cylinder walls and into the combustion chamber of the engine. 7

My present invention is more particularly adapted 'for operation with a sleeve valve engine of the two stroke' cycle type and of the compression ignition type, though, it will be obviously understood that the principles of my invention may be incorporated, if so desired, in an engine other than of the particular type illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Much difiiculty has been experienced in engines of the aforesaid type in that lubricating oil has a tendency to travel outwardly of the cylinder betweenthe cylinder and sleeve valve means operable therein, thislubricating oil leaking into the cylinder ports and into the combustion chamber thereby causing an excessive oil consumption and resulting in imperfect combustion within the engine combustion chamber, some of the lubricating oil that leaks into the cylinder intake port being drawn into the combustion chamber with the incoming charge, while the remainder tends to flood the intake manifold.

An object of my present invention is to control the oil consumption in an engine of the sleeve valve type by introducing air under pressure to the cylinder in the region intermediate the engine combustion chamber and the engine crank case whereby to counteract the tendency of lubricating oil from creeping outwardly of the cylinder walls from the engine crankcase to the cylinder ports and/or the engine combustion chamber.

More particularly, it is an object of my present invention to provide an improved means for introducing and distributing air under pressure to a region lying substantially adjacent the inner end of the cylinder and at a zone which is spaced inwardly thereof from the innermost travel of the sleeve valve intake ports, whereby to eliminate the tendency of the lubricating oil from creeping outwardly of the cylinder intermediate the sleeve valve and cylinder.

For a more detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form which my invention may assume, and in which:

"The figure shown in the illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a vertical sectional view of a typical engine cylinder incorporated in an engine of the sleeve valve type and showing my improved means for controlling the leakage of lubricant from the engine crankcase to the cylinder ports and/or the engine combustion chamber.

The engine as illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises an engine cylinder structure Ill having a cylinder H and suitable cooling jackets l2. This engine is provided with suitable intake and exhaust passages l3 and I4, respectively, which are adapted to be connected with the intake and exhaust chambers l5 and It by the intake and exhaust ports l1 and it, respectively. Preferably, the intake ports are located inwardly of the engine cylinder from the exhaust ports, this construction being customary with engines of the two stroke cycle type.

A cylinder head structure I9 is assembled with the cylinder structure and is secured thereto by means of bolts or other suitable fastening devices 20, the cylinder head structure having a de pending portion 21 which depends within the engine cylinder and is spaced from the walls thereof to provide a suitable sleeve pocket 22 in a customary manner. The cylinder head preferably supports a fuel atomizing device 23 utilized in engines of the compression ignition type. Sleeve valve means are arranged to be operated within the engine cylinder and in the present embodimentof the engine I have chosen to illustrate the sleeve valve means as a sleeve of the combined movement type, such sleeve valve means comprising a single sleeve valve 24 which is moved with a combined reciprocating and oscillating movement relative to the cylinder and sleeve axes. 'Piston 25 is operable within the sleeve valve means and is connected with the crankshaft (not shown) by means of a suitable connecting rod 26. The cylinder structure is mounted on an engine crankcase 21 and the particular invention as herein described relates more particularly to the control of lubricating oil travel outwardly of the cylinder from the engine crankcase to the cylinder ports and .to the combustion chamber 28 which is bounded by the cylinder head inner face and the piston outer face.

The sleeve valve means 24 is provided with suitable intake and exhaust ports 29 and 29a, the figure illustrated in the present drawing showing sleeve intake ports 29 as being arranged to cooperate with the cylinder intake passage l3 for controlling the intake cyclical events of the engine. The sleeve is shown in its outermost position of travel and the dot and dash showing of the sleeve intake ports 29 shows their position when the sleeve has reached approximately its lowermost position of travel.

In an engine of the compression ignition type as herein illustrated, air under pressure is introduced into the engine combustion chamber through the cylinder and sleeve intake port means I1, l3 and 29 respectively, this air being conducted to the engine from the manifold 30 which may be connected with a suitable blower or supercharging device 3| in which the air is compressed to a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure and suitable for use in an engine of this type.

I find that the control of lubricating oil leakage outwardly of the cylinder, may be had by introducing air under pressure to the cylinder intermediate the combustion chamber and engine crankcase, this air being preferably intro-e duced to the cylinderat a region substantially adjacent the inner end of said cylinder and intermediate the inner cylinder ports and engine crankcase, these inner cylinder ports being the cylinder intake ports in the engine illustrated. Preferably the compressed air is introduced to the cylinder in a region which lies substantially in the vicinity of the cylinder inner end and inwardly spaced from the innermost position of travel of said sleeve intake ports 29.

In the present embodiment of my invention I accomplished this by providing an annular groove 32 in the cylinder wall which is so positioned as to not be uncovered by the sleeve intake ports 29 during the operation of the engine, It will be noted that air under pressure may be introduced to this groove 32 by any suitable means, but I find it very convenient, as shown in the present embodiment of my invention, to connect the groove 32 with the intake manifold chamber l5 associated with the cylinder structure, since the air under pressure that is conducted to the cylinder intake ports has a sufiicient pressure when introduced into groove 32 to force any lubricating oil which may tend to creep outwardly of the cylinder wall back again into the crankcase. In the present instance this is accomplished by connecting the groove 32 with the intake chamber I5 by means of a plurality of passages 33, said passages being conveniently formed by drilling holes within the cylinder structure in a manner as clearly shown in the accompanying figure of the drawing.

It will thus be noted that I have provided an annular pocket or groove surrounding the sleeve valve means in which air is introduced under pressure, the pressure of the air within this groove 32 being sufficient to retard or counteract the travel of lubricating oil outwardly of the cylinder from the engine crankcase. I

I find that the particular location of this groove 32 is of particular significance in providing for improved engine performance if the same is located substantially in a position as shown in the accompanying drawing which shows the groove located at a point well below the cylinder intake ports and inwardly of the cylinder from the lowermost position of travel of said'sleeve intake ports 29. Though the present invention is particularly adaptable to an engine of the single sleeve valve type as shown in the present embodiment of -my invention, it will he obviously understood that the principles of my invention may be incorporated in sleeve valve engines other than of the single sleeve valve type.

Although I have illustrated but one form of my invention and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a crankcase, a cylinder, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder, a cylinder head structure for closing the outer open end of the cylinder, a piston operable in said cylinder and cooperating with the cylinder head to define a combustion chamber, and means introducing air under pressure greater than atmospheric intermediate the cylinder and sleeve valve means and intermediate the said combustion chamber and crankcase.

2. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a crankcase, a cylinder, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder, a cylinder head structure for closing the outer open end of the cylinder, a piston operable in said cylinder and cooperating'with the cylinder head to define a combustion chamber, means conducting air under a pressure greater than atmospheric into the combustion chamber, and. means connecting the aforesaid air conducting means with the engine cylinder intermediate the combustion chamber and crankcase. 1 3. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a. crankcase, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and. ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, means conducting air under pressure to said cylinder intake ports, and means introducing air under pressure to said cylinder intermediate the said cylinder intake ports and crankcase.

4. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a crankcase, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, means conducting air under pressure to said cylinder intake ports, and means introducing air under pressure to said cylinder at a zone spaced inwardly of the cylinder from the innermost position of travel of said sleeve intake port.

5. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a crankcase, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, means conducting air under pressure to said cylinder intake ports, and means connecting the aforesaid air conducting means with the cylinder at a point in the cylinder spaced inwardly of the cylinder from the innermost position of travel of said sleeve intake port.

6. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a crankcase, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, means conducting air under pressure to said cylinder intake ports, said cylinder having an annular groove positioned at a point in the cylinder spaced inwardly thereof from the innermost position of travel of said sleeve valve means, and means for introducing air under pressure to said annular groove.

7. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a crankcase, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, means conducting air under pressure to said cylinder intake ports, said cylinder having an annular groove positioned at a point in the cylinder spaced inwardly thereof from the innermost position of travel of said sleeve valve means, and means connecting said annular groove with the aforesaid air conducting means.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type having a crankcase, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, means conducting air under pressure to said cylinder intake ports, saidv cylinder having an armular groove lying intermediate the cylinder intake ports and the crankcase, and means for introducing air under pressure to said annular groove.

9. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, and means introducing air under pressure to said cylinder intermediate said cylinder and sleeve valve means and substantially at a point spaced inwardly of the cylinder from said cylinder ports.

10. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve valve type, a cylinder ported for intake and exhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and ported to cooperate with the cylinder ports for controlling the engine cyclical events, said cylinder provided with an annular recess spaced inwardly of the cylinder from said cylinder ports and facing the said sleeve valve means, and means for introducing air under pressure into said recess for operative action on lubricating oil travelling outwardly of the sleeve, whereby to counteract the tendency of said lubricating oil to continue such travel.

EDWARD T. VINCENT. 

